Quake shakes Geelong man

A GEELONG writer has described the moment a 6.0magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s tourism hot spots, killing three in East Java’s Sumenep district.

Noel Murphy said it felt like a semi-trailer was driving through his Ubud hotel when the earthquake struck in the early hours yesterday.

“At 2.45am my bed started rocking side to side, like someone was giving it a good shaking. The glasses on the table were shaking and clanking together,” Murphy told the Geelong Advertiser via email.

“Large glass window doors were banging very loudly in their runners. Lasted 10 maybe 15 seconds. Sounded like wind was blowing them at great power.

“As I woke I thought a big semi truck was revving outside my door about two metres away. Quite startling. Heavy kind of rumbling under the bed.”

Murphy said the earthquake stopped suddenly, with hotel patrons gathering in the foyer and checking social media for advice and updates.

It was one of a series of powerful quakes that rocked Indonesia’s Java and Bali islands and the Papua New Guinea island of New Britain yesterday morning.

At least three people were killed as the shallow 6.0- magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia.

The victims in East Java’s Sumenep district perished after being crushed by collapsed buildings, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

“The earthquake happened early Thursday when they were sleeping and the quake suddenly rocked so they didn’t have time to evacuate,” he said, adding that damage was not widespread.

The strong quake was felt in Denpasar on the holiday island of Bali, where panicked people fled from buildings.

The quake near Bali caused brief panic among residents, although there was no tsunami alert issued.

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck New Britain briefly triggered a tsunami alert before authorities gave the all clear.

The US Geological Survey said the PNG quake hit about 125km east of Kimbe at a depth of about 40km.

There were a string of smaller tremors measuring up to 6.2 immediately before and after the main earthquake.

The magnitude 7.0 quake was followed by aftershocks of magnitude 5.7 and 5.9. More than an hour later, a magnitude 6.3 quake hit further northeast on the island.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre initially warned hazardous tsunami waves were possible in coastal areas 300km from the epicentre.